Life in the Summer....

Doesn't everyone remember the lazy days of summer when you were a kid.  I remember spending countless hours outside playing with my friends and almost every evening ended with a good ole game of the "Kick the Can."  I remember my friend, Laurie, and I playing with Kelly and Jeffrey McHenry.  They lived across the street from me and it was our personal mission to beat them at that game every time.  I remember my mom "hollering" for me to come home and it had to be very late at night.  We'd wash the summer smell off of us in that little tiny house on Brock Avenue deep in the heart of Mississippi.  No telling what we had on us from playing in the creekbed behind Kelly's house, going down to the reservoir water's edge trying to catch crawfish, or chocolate ice cream that my Diddy had bought us from the Archusa Quick Stop.  He  made us ride in the back of his pick up truck and he had somewhat of a heavy foot so you can imagine that our ice cream cones didn't stand a chance!  Poor Eula (our family housekeeper) would probably scrub our clothes to her fingers were raw trying to get that chocolate out!  Oh, how I miss lazy days of summer!  Catching "lightning bugs" or as Craig says "fireflies" and keeping them in glass jars next to our bed at night. 

I love that my girls enjoy being outside.  I love that they enjoy playing in dirt in our backyard.  I love that they eat popsicles or ice cream on the back porch and love every minute of it.  I love that they enjoy swimming and exploring the neighborhood on treasure hunts.  I love that they love being sisters! 

Speaking of sisters, we are planning to add two more sisters to our family.  Tatiana is 15 and Leeza is 10.  They are both living in an orphanage in Ukraine at the moment.  We met them last summer and began to form quite the bond with them.  I can't wait for them to share in the things my girls do during the day.  I can't wait for my dining room table to be filled with the sounds of girls talking about their day.  I am excited for what is in store for us as we go down this journey to bring them home forever. 

We have been diligently trying to fundraise for our adoption.  Though we can pay for their daily needs, we just don't have a huge lump sum to pay for their adoption.  When we chose to adopt them, things were different.  The dreaded health care plan had not passed yet and unemployment wasn't as low as it is now.  Jobs were more secure and people weren't terrified of losing their wallets.  And because Craig is a Certified Financial Planner, there are days when its tough around here.  He is so incredible blessed with amazing talent.  He is so intelligient and is incredible with his clients.  But, its getting people to trust him.  Its hard for people to trust anyone when it comes to their money.  So, times are tough.  But, I know that God called us to adopt these girls and I know He will provide a way for them to get here.  I just have to trust Him.  Tatiana graduates from the orphanage at 16, which is only 7 months from this upcoming week.  She has a 20% chance to survive and I can't imagine her fighting for her life on the streets of Ukraine.  We just have to get her home :)

So, please join me in praying for our girls in Ukraine.  Pray that God would provide a way for them to get here and to get here FAST. 
I long for them to enjoy our lazy days of summer.  I long to tell them of my childhood summer days and for them to experience lightning bugs, popsicles, treasure hunts, chocolate ice cream running down their chin, catching crawfish, and Kick the Can.

Blessings,
Becca

Sesame Street Birthday!

Well, we celebrated Madeline's birthday on Saturday with her Sunday School friends.  We transformed the backyard into Sesame Street.  We had Abby Caddaby's Playhouse, Oscar the Grouch Trashcan Toss, Pin the Nose on Elmo, and Big Bird Fishing Adventures.  It was a very fun party and we were so blessed by all her friends that came for the afternoon.  The cake was absolutely INCREDIBLE!  If you ever need a cake or dinners, you need to contact Jamie at http://www.dinnersbyjamie.com/ - unreal!  There wasn't a drop left and it was a two tier cake! 

Madeline had a blast and I hope that her friends enjoyed the day :)  We ended the evening with friends, eating pizza, and hanging out by the fire pit.  It was  a perfect night!

On Sunday, we went to Willow City, Texa (close to Fredericksburg) to a baby shower.  My best friend, Shelly, hosted a shower for her nephew, Case.  He was born in January and they had a picnic at an old schoolhouse in his honor.  It was so fun and th girls had such a great time.  The food was fantastic and they have fun activities for the girls - bubbles and kites!  The girls really enjoyed it and it made for a great Sunday afternoon with our family.

This week marks a special time for us.  We are submitting our I600A to USCIS for the adoption of Tanya and Liza from Ukraine.  God-willing, they will be joining our family this year.  We have a lot of paperchasing to do but I am ready!  Its been a few years since completing our dossier for Molly but I think I have enough energy :)  Tanya is 15 and Liza is 10.  There is some concern that Ukraine will close international adoptions due to a lady sending her 7 year old adopted child back to Russia. We are praying that this does not happen and that Ukraine will realize that there are more good adoptions than bad.  If we submit our documents in June, we could travel literally that month!  We are in a huge push to raise money and have so many fundraisers going at this time.  We have made $170 on Adoption Bug (www.adoptionbug.com/journeythruthehills) and we've done well on our 100 for 100 = $10,000 on our Facebook.  We raised enough money to send in our I600A form which costs $830!  We will need to come up with $12,500 for our attorney in Ukraine by the time we leave in June or July.  That is a lot of money but hey, its ALL God's money and He will provide is this is His will.  We rely heavily on His Sovereignty!

Well, I think that is all for now.  We have an exciting appointment in about an hour!  We are in court to try to gain custody of a precious little foster care baby (1 month old).  We are pretty much just trusting God with this placement.  It wasn't anything we were searching for and we agreed to help the birth family.  Its a sticky situation but I know that God has a certain plan for this little guy's life.  We'll know something today (hopefully).  So, gotta run for now.  Enjoy the pics of the birthday party!

Blessings,

Becca

Two Years Ago....our lives changed forever!

I honestly can't believe that its been two years since we brought Madeline home from the hospital.  Where in the world did the time go?  I remember about a year ago, I was in the grocery store and a man could tell I was a little frustrated with the girls.  Madeline was in the basket screaming and Molly was hanging on the side begging for candy.  This man said "The days seem to go on for years and the years will seem like minutes."  That has stuck in my head and I am reminded that time really does fly by and especially the older I get!  UGH!

Two years ago, a young woman made the hardest and selfless decision of her life - she gave me her child.  I remember my stepmother saying to me when we announced our news to adopt "You mean a girl is going to just give you her baby?"  I could tell that it was foreign to some and that the idea that someone would "give" me their child was unimaginable.  But, she did and she did it with love.  I remember that day like it was yesterday.  I had never in my life been through such an emotional day.  None of the  miscarriages I had ever had could compare to the feelings I felt that day.  I almost felt guilty for taking this child from her mother though she was voluntarily placing her child in my arms.  She stared at Madeline and held her for hours, talking to her, sobbing, and asking if I thought she would grow up to be angry at her.  She kept asking if Madeline would ever understand and know how much she truly loved her.  Oh, talk about RIPPING YOUR HEART OUT!  It was unbelievalbe.  She walked out of that room with a sadness that I can't imagine.  But, she also walked out with a glow.. she had just chosen life for this child!  She was certain and confident in her decision.  She gave us the greatest gift a person could ever give us.  There was nothing to compare to that day.  My heart still aches thinking of her and the pain she must have felt the day she left her baby with us.  I am forever grateful to her and Madeline will grow up knowing the sacrifice she made and the love she had for her.  Thank you, B!  I love you!

So, we embark on the Two's!  We actually started around 20 months.  The "cute" little fits are funny at times (just because she is so darn cute!) but they are getting out of hand.  Its hard to discipline a two year old so if anyone has any tips to share, please do! 

On Thursday (her actual birthday), we had plans to go camping.  At the last minutes, the plans changed, so we grilled steaks and Molly made Madeline a homemade strawberry birthday cake.  We had presents, cake and ice cream with our family - it was a sweet time.  She LOVED her cake!  Today, we are having her little friends over for a Sesame Street Birthday!  She is excited and we have transformed the backyard into a child's version of Sesame Street with Big Bird Fishing Adventure, Oscar the Grouch Trash Can Toss, and Pin the Nose on Elmo!  It should be a fun day and I'll post pictures after the party!

Blessings to you all!!!
Becca, Craig, Molly and Madeline

Happy Easter!

It has been quite the week.  We have really looked forward to my Daddy and his wife coming to visit!  We cleaned the house, went grocery shopping and waited in anticipation (actually Molly started counting the days about 32 days ago!).  They would be traveling from Mississippi.  On Monday, I woke up with horrible neck pain.  Thinking that I slept wrong, I took some Motrin and went on my day.  Well, that night I had to pop a muscle relaxor and did so for the next three nights.  I must have taken a whole bottle of Motrin and those that know me well, know that I don't take medicine well AT ALL!  Craig knew I was hurting and on Thursday, it became worse.  You know how they ask you at the ER "On a scale from 1 to 10, what is your pain level?"  Well, I've never had to say "10" but I was VERY close to saying 15 on Thursday night!  My mom came over and helped me with the girls and took Molly to gymnastics!  I made a call to our doctor friend and he called me in a steroid.  With Good Friday the next day, he was apparently out of town.  Our other doctor friend came over and did some neck stretches on me which helped a little.  Great to have docs that still make house calls :)  Anyway, Daddy and Jodie showed up on Thursday night (very late) and we had a great day shopping and having dinner on the Riverwalk.  We spent some time on Saturday shopping in San Marcos and cooking out that evening.  It has been so much fun having them here! The pain in my neck subsided for a couple of days and I was so thankful!  However, it started hurting again today in church and so I am now getting a little concerned.  Maybe its stress (I seem to be under quite a bit of it lately:) )  but I think I'll get it checked out this week.  I would appreciate the prayers. 

Daddy and Jodie leave tomorrow and its sad to see them go.  We look forward to seeing them again in May when we travel to Mississippi for a wedding.  I do wish they lived closer to us - my girls absolutely love them.  We have had such a wonderful and blessed time this weekend. 

Here are some photos of the week and a couple of the girls "Egg Hunting."  They would not cooperate for Easter Morning photos so it was hard to get the two of them together in their matching Easter dresses. 

I pray that you are reminded each and every day (not just today) of the price that was paid for your adoption into the family of God.  Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice for us.  May He receive all the glory and honor for your salvation.  Its nothing you have done or a choice you have made but its by grace you have been saved.  Praise His Name!

Happy Easter! The Hills

Praise God from who ALL blessings flow...

My heart has ached for Nahomie of Haiti for weeks. We went from being so excited about having her in our home to the news that she could possibly not be coming over on the humanitarian aid visa like the rest of the children. Our only option would be to apply for a student visa and then be responsible for getting her to and from school each day at a private school. Craig and I are just not set up to do that right now. My heart was broken. Who would take her? Who would care for her? Would she have to stay in Haiti? Would I ever be able to get over saying "no?" But, I sent one email to a dear friend that is adopting two girls from Nahomie's orphanage. She immediately got busy contacting her family in VA. Her dad is a professor at Liberty University and they are interested in sponsoring Nahomie on a student visa. My friend's older sister is in college and lives at home. She could take Nahomie to school and they could also keep one another company when their parents are traveling! WOW - God works fast! Why do I ever question Him???? So, please pray with me and with this family as they embark on the journey to rescue Nahomie from the devastated orphanage in Haiti. Pray that a school will allow her to come over on a I-20 visa and that her school would provide a scholarship. Pray that our government approves her visa and that she will be able to travel soon. I know that God has written her name in the palm of His hand. I know that He knows the plans for her, to give her a future and a hope that will not harm her. Glory be to God!




Blessings,
Becca

Our new journey thru the Hills....

So, I promised to update my blog more often and once again, I failed. Its been December since I updated so please forgive me. Its almost April! Alot has happened in our lives since December but doesn't that happen to all of us?

Its been a very exciting year and did I expect anything less? We hosted Tanya and Liza at Christmas. They were part of 17 orphans that came to Texas from Ukraine. Out of those 17 orphans, 14 of them are going to be adopted by families in the area! Praise God! Out of those 14 are our very own, Tanya and Liza. I call them "our own" but I know that its not until God brings them here that I can call them "my daughters." Whatever God chooses to do in their lives (and ours) - I am submitting to His will. Its hard to sit here on the other side of the world while they sit in an orphanage waiting for us to come rescue them. Its hard praying for God to "place a hedge of protection around them" knowing full well that I have no control over their lives. But, I find comfort in knowing Who is in control and I rest in that promise!

We have started the adoption process of Tanya and Liza. Our social worker came for a visit on February 15th and updated our homestudy. We have been waiting on our completed homestudy to submit to USCIS. But, to be honest, we have been waiting on funds to follow through this process. It cost $830 to submit our I600A to USCIS. We raised $383 at a garage sale yesterday and two people have given us a total of $300 in the last 48 hours as part of our new Facebook Fundraiser "100 giving $100 = $10,000." So, we are less than $200 away from having the funds to send to USCIS. Then, the "real" fundraising begins! We have 7 families that have pledged to give $100 to our Adoption Fund - praise God! We have also set up an "Adoption Bug T-shirt" fundraiser on our blog as well. We know that God has called us to pursue these girls and it will be His Divine Provision that will bring them to us forever. There is nothing that we can do or say to cause these funds to be raised - its in His doing that makes it all happen. So, we find comfort in believing in His Sovereignty.

Other situations have come our way and to be honest, we are praying through this decisions. We ask that you pray for us as well. Without going into too much detail, we could possibly provide a temporary home for a newborn. His parents made some poor choices during the pregnancy and have lost the right to see him. He is a sweet little boy and needs a loving, Christian home, even if for a short time. I once spoke those words, "I will NEVER foster a child!" Hmmmm, if you know me - you know that I should have learned by now to NEVER SAY NEVER! For some reason, God brought this little guy to our attention. We have no idea what's to come of it and even if we'll be able to foster him but we are praying for God's will, His wisdom and His discernment in our lives and this child's life. We will go to court on Wednesday to hear the temporary placement order from the judge. We shall see but please join us in praying for this precious little guy and his birthparents.

On January 12th, a great earthquake hit Haiti and it was a privilege and honor to be involved in placing 54 orphans into homes in the San Antonio/New Braunfels area. I was amazed at the outpouring of love and support of God's people! My list of potential foster/adoptive couples grew to over 70! It was incredible! All but 4 of the children have been placed in loving homes and we now wait the decision of the House and Senate to pass the Hope Act. This bill would grant humanitarian aid parole to these orphans and provide them a way to get to the United States and into loving homes. We were matched with Nahomie, a 17 year old precious girl. Unfortunately, there is some concern about her availability to come on the same visa as the other children, because of her age. The only way we can get her here would be on a Student Visa. We would have to find a private school that would allow her to come on a I-20 student visa. We would also be responsible for providing private education and to be honest, we aren't able to do that at this time. So, we need to pray to find a home for Nahomie or to provide provision for our family to host her. We don't know what the future holds for this precious girl but we know Who holds the future.

Craig's job has taken off by storm. And, we know storms can be scary at times and full of torrential rains. But, with storms - there is growth when the rain ends! So, we are trusting God during this transition and can already see some amazing things taking place. He brought on a new business partner that offers so much to the firm. He has tons of experience and he brought a licensed assistant for them to share! She is awesome and provides the much needed support that Craig needed in the office! God is good!

Well, I promise to update this a couple of times a week. I need to start using this blog as a means to get some things off my chest during this adoption journey! The journey is never easy and the road comes with some bumps but there is a great reward at the end of it.

Join us in prayer as we embark on this rollercoaster of a ride called adoption.

Blessings,
Becca

Talk about a year!

I think I am a terrible blogger. No, I know that I am a terrible blogger! There are women (and men) that have multiple children that blog almost everyday! I am so very impressed with those people and strive to be better at this whole thing.

Over Thanksgiving, my sweet niece (Zoe), asked me to update my blog. I think she was the only one that actually read it and I'm not sure if she still does read it :)

But, here goes...

In May, we made the sudden decision to move to Florida for the summer. It was the greatest 3 months of our lives. Craig went down there to work for a man that had the contract with the FBI. They worked on their benefit and financial planning. It was quite interesting and nothing like we had expected but it was good for us. There were many bumps and bruises along the way but the summer grew us all. We met some incredible new friends that will be in our lives forever! We were able to see my brother, Michael, his wife Cristi, and their new little one, Sydney. It was great to be only 2 hours from Key West!!!

We were able to go to Disney World a couple of times and get to see some of our dear friends that live in Orlando. Disney was incredible! Molly had mixed feelings. She was excited at times and fearful at others. She wasn't a big fan of Peter Pan (which I love) but loved the Haunted Mansion - go figure! Madeline, on the other hand, was a trooper and loved every minute of it! She fits well into our family. She can go, and go, and go! She did great in the double stroller and I don't remember her fussing much at all. Her sister, now that is a different story!

When I came home, I had to make some decisions in my life. My children were growing up right before my eyes and I was missing it. If Florida taught me anything, it was that I was way too busy. I was trying to run a dance studio, run an adoption ministry, homeschool Molly, run a household, and many other things I sign myself up for on a daily basis! I was exhausted when I left for Florida and the time there allowed for much rest. I enjoyed the simplicity of life and wanted that when I returned to Texas. So, I made one of the hardest decisions of my life - I closed Corum Deo Dance Academy. It was my dream to own my own dance studio and I loved every minute of it. I do miss my little ballerinas and pray that their lives were touched in the short time that I had them in my life. I needed to cut some things out of my life and that just had to be one of them. I had a friend ask me what my passion was in life, ballet or reaching orphans? I had to be honest with myself and I knew in my heart that my passion was raising awareness of the 143 million orphans worldwide! So, I have decided to focus on my orphan care and adoption ministry.

Saying that comes with a disclaimer! My Lord comes first. My family second. And, then my ministry. I have to check myself daily on where my priorities lie. Its a hard struggle but I can't allow myself to get so busy that I miss out on my ministry to my family.

Speaking of family, I am homeschooling Molly and LOVE IT! We have such a great time and she is learning. She was recently diagnosed with Auditory Processing Disorder. Its been a struggle for months to try to figure out what was wrong. We weren't sure if it was something we could "fix" or if it was a product of her orphan life. We were thankful that there is hope! Little Giant Steps is the program we are using and its a long road but one that offers a light at the end of the tunnel!

Madeline is growing up so much! She is talking more and more each day. She can say "Mama, Dada, Momo, Cat, Paci, Bed, Book, Light, Eat, Ride, Night Night, Bye bye, I wanna go, Milk, Wawa (water), Pop, Papa, Gigi, baby, ball and my favorite "Down!" for touchdown! She is my football buddy! She loves it and we love our New Orleans Saints! They are 12-0!!! She is also a daredevil! We joke that she is my brother's child! She knows NO FEAR! She learned to swim this summer after she kept jumping in the pool!!! The lifeguard suggested we do the Infant Survival Swim Class and she was swimming on her own by the 2nd lesson!

Its Christmastime here in the Hill house! We are gearing up for a very exciting Christmas! We will be hosting two very special girls, Tatiana and Liza, from Ukraine. They are 14 and 9 and we met them this summer. Tatiana actually flew to Florida and spent three weeks with us. We even had the chance to take her to Disney! She loved it! Now we get to host them and we are so very excited! We actually have 17 orphans coming for Christmas to stay with 11 families in the New Braunfels area. I can't believe that we are at this point in our ministry and it excites me every time I think of it! God is good! He is calling His people into action to care for the orphan and they are being obedient. I never in a million years thought that I would part of something so huge! Thank you, Lord, for using me. I could never do this on my own strength.

Well, I need to get to bed. No wonder I don't do this often! Its 11:40 at night and I need to be sleeping :)

Merry Christmas to all!
Blessings,
The Hills

iSearchiGive : Raise money for G.R.A.C.E. Adoption Ministry, every time you search the web.

iSearchiGive : Raise money for G.R.A.C.E. Adoption Ministry, every time you search the web.

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Our Journey is never boring!

I can't believe its summer! Where has the time gone? We love summer around here but our "here" will soon change! We leave on June 13th and will board a flight to Florida. We will be living in the Sunny State for 3 months. Craig has accepted a job down there and we will be "test driving" life in Florida for the summer. We are excited and scared at the same time. Our life here in Texas is wonderful! We belong to an incredible church and have such a great network of friends. But, life changes and we are certainly open to that change. We know that God has had to open many doors and put many things into place for this to happen, so we are completely trusting Him during this move.

We are getting our house ready and that involves lots of cleaning out! We had a garage sale a couple of weeks ago and got rid of alot of things. Molly was so excited to sell her toys and even made $57 from her lemonade and cookie sales. She asked everyone that came up to shop if they would like lemonade! I am trying to teach her the value of a dollar and how important it is to make money before you spend money. I was very proud of her. She sold her Little Pony Castle, a dollhouse and LOTS of little toys!!!

We are renting a duplex in Florida. I have a photo attached to this post. Its amazing and we are truly blessed to be living there for the summer. My brother, his wife, and their new baby are only an hour and a half from us so we are super excited! Pray for us and with us as we start this new journey!!!

On Saturday, June 6th - 15 orphans from Ukraine will land on US soil! We (G.R.A.C.E. Adoption and Orphan Care Ministry - www.graceadoptionministry.com) put together our first hosting trip for the summer. We have some AMAZING families that have stepped up to the plate to host these precious children for almost 3 months. The children are 6-14 years of age and all orphans. Their stories would break your heart. These families will get to show them a love that they have never known. We are so excited that these children will get to experience a summer like no other. Pray with us that its a safe and fun summer for all of them.

Molly graduated from Kindergarten this year. Where has the time gone since we brought her home from Ukraine in 2004. Wow - time really does fly! She will start 1st grade next year and we plan on homeschooling. I am still researching curriculum but I am sure we will pick something before the Fall gets here.

Madeline will be 14 months on the 8th of June. I still can't believe that God blessed us with such a precious baby. I have to pinch myself every once in awhile to make sure I am not dreaming! She is walking (well, running) all over the place! Her nickname is "Search and Destroy" because it literally takes her about 2 seconds to destroy anything she touches. Her favorite food is pizza! She follows her sister everywhere and is little Mini-Molly! Its so cute.

We don't talk to her birthmom much and wish that we could see her. She is still living in Vegas and we hope and pray she is doing well. We think of her often and pray for her every night before we go to bed. We still love and care for her so much.

Well, I guess that's all in our little world. My next post will be from Sunny Florida!!!!

Blessings,
The Hills

Madeline is One...We are getting a dog...and Mom has a pacemaker!

It has been quite a month! I can't believe our sweet baby girl, Madeline, is a year old! Where in the world did the time go? It just seems like yesterday I was holding that 5 pound baby in my arms for the first time. I remember that day like it was just yesterday. The pure joy I felt when I looked over and saw Craig holding her for the first time still brings tears to my eyes. I was so excited that he got to hold her first and the look on his face was priceless. Though we approached her birth and adoption with caution, we knew the minute that we saw her - she was our daughter. She will always have a "Life Mommy!" We are forever grateful to her Life Mommy for the choice she made to give her life. We are blessed to know "B" and she will be in our lives and our hearts forever.

Madeline had her "First Fiesta" birthday party on the 4th. Mommy ran a 5K and then came home to make enchiladas. They thought it was important to appreciate Madeline's heritage by making it a fun, festive, Fiesta. We had a sombrero cake for the big kids and Madeline had her own "Chili Pepper." My sweet friend, Jamie Rutledge, did a fantastic job at both cakes! They were soooo yummy! If anyone ever needs a cake, let me know - she is the best! We had a jalapeno pinata filled with candy and cascarones to top off the evening. The bigger kids (aka Mommies and Daddies) had margaritas :) I needed it because I was having a really hard time coming to terms that my baby girl was ONE! Is it okay to cry on your daughter's birthday?

Before her birthday, we were blessed to go spend time in Ingram, Texas with our sweet friends, the Barrs. They invited us (oh wait, we invited ourselves) to their cabin in the woods. We had a fabulous time! The kids played so hard and even swam in the frigid cold pool! It was so relaxing and much needed. During our time there, I got a call that my mom had been rushed to the ER by ambulance! Her heart rate was around 32 and her blood pressure was low. She could not walk and was extremely weak. Craig, Madeline, and I rushed back to New Braunfels and Molly stayed with her friends. Once we got to the hospital, Mom was looking better but her heartrate was still dangerously low. After a series of tests, they determined she would need a pacemaker. So, a couple of days later, the cardiologist put in her pacemaker and now Mom is feeling a ton better! She will have more energy and I think she is better set for old age :) A friend of mine told me that she was "pre-wired for old age." That made her laugh!!! Anyway, she is doing so well and we have been showered with tons of support from family and friends to make things so wonderful!

Molly is doing fantastic! She turned 6 in January and is growing up so fast! She is our little gymnast and recently was evaluated at a new gym. They told us that she was "very" good and had lots of potential. Must be her Ukrainian blood :) She is a strong Level 2 but almost at Level 3. She may start at the new gym in May or June. We love her current coach and it will be a hard transition. But, she needs to be somewhere that works with her potential alittle more. Several of her friends have already switched to the new gym and are doing fantastic!

Craig is still plugging away at his firm. He wanted to sell his practice and was approached by a large firm in San Antonio. They are talking now about merging and forming a strategic alliance. So, it should be interesting. We are just praying and wanting to do what God wants for his business. He loves his clients and wants more time to develop those relationships.

G.R.A.C.E. Adoption Ministry is doing awesome! We have really been creating awareness of the 143 million orphans worldwide. We have a family that just returned last month from Ukraine with their precious daughter. And, we have another family that is returning tomorrow to pick up their little girl in Ukraine! We have a family waiting to travel soon and we have about 12 Ukrainian orphans scheduled to hit US soil for a hosting trip this summer. God is moving in the hearts of His people and its so cool to be a part of it.

Ballet is wonderful! I have two incredible teachers that help me with two days a week. God continues to bless me through Corum Deo Dance Academy - He is so good and we dance for Him and His Glory!

So, Craig was moved by his 6 year old daughter and we will be welcoming a new puppy into our home in mid-May. His name is Chaco and he is a chocolate Labradoodle. Craig is having a hard time with the name of the breed but is excited that its a BOY. Poor guy, he is so outnumbered!

I guess that is our update. Sorry that I have been a terrible blogger!!!!

Blessings to you all and HAPPY EASTER!!!!!!!!!!

One Year Ago Today...

It was rainy and cold day one year ago today as Molly and I loaded up the car and headed to San Antonio. We were on our way to the unexpected. We were on our way to an appointment that could change us forever. We were on our way to meet Briana. As we sat in the kid's part of McDonald's, my heart was beating fast. What would our meeting be like? Would she even want to consider me? Was I just here to give her information about adoption? What exactly was I on my way to do? Did I have my thoughts straight? How could I be objective and just give her the facts about adoption without getting emotionally involved? So, I waited. Then, they came through the door. I noticed her gorgeous blue eyes and then looked down at her belly, she was tiny. How could she be 6 months pregnant? She looked fantastic in her little tiny jeans. She stood there with her son and boyfriend. Her son's hair caught my attention, those precious blonde curls and those big blue eyes! He was absolutely adorable. And, her boyfriend was so attentive to her and to her needs. It was amazing to watch him wait on her hand and foot. She was so blessed to have these two precious men in her lives. Why in the world is she placing her child up for adoption, she was being taken care of so well. But, she told her story and it was so sad. She was a product of her environment. She had grown up in a home that didn't have the best of circumstances. She had done so well being a Mommy to her son but there was no way she could do it. I sympathized with her and wanted to take away her pain right then.
As I sat across the table from her, it became apparent that I was there to give my story. I told her about us, our struggles, and our adoption of Molly. I showed her our adoption scrapbook of our time in Ukraine. I was very open and honest about our family and the rollercoaster ride we had gone on in adoption. She seemed to sympathize with me too. She looked through the scrapbook and smiles came across her face as she turned the pages. After she was finished, she pulled sonogram pictures from her pocket and handed them to me and said "These are yours." I can still remember that I was numb. I took the photos but I bit of guilt came across me that I was taking something away from this precious girl. A relationship formed that day.
For the next 6 weeks, our lives changed. I remember getting in the car that day at McDonald's and not being able to speak. I think Molly must have asked me a million times if she was going to let us adopt her baby but I couldn't answer - I just sat there. I remember calling Craig and telling him that we were going to have a baby. I could barely drive back home that day but I made it. I called all my close friends and family and everyone began praying. I guarded my heart but was so excited I could have jumped out of my skin that day!
So, as I look back on this past year, I have tears rolling down my face as I remember the day I met the girl who would change our life forever. I will forever be grateful to the self sacrifice she made that we may have our arms and hearts filled with a precious baby. Thank you, Briana, I love you and will forever!

10 Months and Crawling!!!!

We finally have a Crawler! Its taken us awhile to get over the fear of falling but she has it! I can't believe our baby is 10 months old - she is growing WAY too fast. It hasn't hit me quite yet that she will be 1 in less than 2 months. Where has the time gone? Here is a video of her crawling for the first time - I am so thankful that I had the camera ready and that it had 2 minutes left before the battery died!!

Christmas, Birthday, Loose Tooth and Key West....

Wow, its been quite the two months! Molly turned 6 years old on January 12th! She chose to have a small tea party with a few close girlfriends - it was quite the change from our normal "HUGE, INVITE THE ENTIRE TOWN" parties. Molly has quite the heart and never wants to leave anyone out. So, it was so hard to have her keep her guest list to a minimum. But, I was proud of her even though she has stressed over those that were not able to attend. We had a "Fancy Nancy" party and my friend, Jamie, made the most adorable cake (picture below). It was AMAZING! The girls dressed in their fanciest dresses and we had so many activities for the girls to do that went with the "Fancy Nancy" theme. It was so much fun and Gammy and I even got fancy!
Madeline turned 9 months in January! UNBELIEVABLE! She gets prettier and prettier everyday. She was pretty when she came out and I can't believe how much she has grown. People literally stop us in the store to stare at her! I think she looks more and more like her "lifemom" B. She sits up and goes on all fours but REFUSES to crawl. She loves to hang on our fingers, pull herself up, and then walk with us holding her hands. Its so funny and I think she just might skip crawling all together. Molly did and she is just fine. Madeline still has two teeth. But, I am thinking she is on the brink of a couple of more. Just waiting!
Speaking of teeth, Molly has her first loose tooth. Its been loose for 29 days and counting. Tonight it started bleeding so I think its about to fall out. She is really nervous and I think she thinks she will swallow it in her sleep. We just can't wait for it to fall out so the Tooth Fairy can visit and be done!
Ballet started back the middle of January. After an amazing Christmas performance, I gave the girls and myself a break! During the break, I was seeking treatment for my hip. I have dealt with hip pain for 8 years and have been to many doctors, physical therapists, massage therapists, etc. Nothing seems to be helping but I found a chiropractor that is actually helping for the first time. Its been quite the journey but he advised me to find an alternative to teaching dance. Either I could close the studio and let 60 little girls down or hire teachers. After much prayer, I found the PERFECT teachers! I am so blessed to have Brittany and Elizabeth Docter as my new ballet teachers. They are a huge blessing to my studio and the girls love them! I am keeping teaching to a minimum right now while I am seekig treatment and hope to be back in full force soon. I love teaching and I miss all my little ballerinas but the teachers are taking such good care of them.
The adoption ministry is in full swing! I met with the elders of our church in late December to get the ministry approved to be under the authority of the church. We have not been officially approved but I think its in the works! We just got our Certificate of Formation from the Secretary of State and now we are working on our 501c3. I hear its ALOT of work but I am willing to do whatever it takes to bring awareness of the 143 million orphans in the world!!!
For Christmas, we stayed in New Braunfels. It was pretty low key but Mom joined us along with Craig's parents. It was nice to be quiet and be traveling all over the place. We did board a flight on New Year's Eve headed for Key West! We couldn't wait to get there and see our new addition to the Robinson Family - Sydney Claire! She is absolutely adorable! She loved her Aunt Becca and I loved her too. I got to get in some great snuggling time!!! They are actually in San Antonio for the weekend and we get to see them on Saturday! Can't wait!
Well, I think that is all for now!
Pray for the Bredesens - they just got their referral for a 12 month old little boy in Ethiopia! So exciting! I am praying that they travel soon - hopefully in the next couple of months.
Hope all of you are doing well - let me hear from you!!!
Becca

8 months, two teeth and lots of new things...

I am such a bad blogger. It could be because I am so busy that I can't seem to keep my head above the water!!! There has been so much going on in the lives of the Hills that its hard to keep up. I get an email every once in awhile about the lack of information on our blog. So, here goes.

Molly will be 6 in January! We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of her birthday. She must talk about her "Fancy Nancy" party atleast twice a day. She and I have collected tea cups and saucers for her friends and she can't wait until the day comes when she can celebrate her birthday with them. She chose "Fancy Nancy" because, well, quite frankly - she is Fancy Nancy! The girl is full glam! She uses BIG words and I think learns a new 'fancy' word every day! She learned to ice skate in Oklahoma a couple of weeks ago and now she is officially ready for the Olympics! She and Oksana Bahul (sp) grew up in the same town in Ukraine. Speaking of Olympics, Molly's other passion is gymnastics. She has always had a talent for gymnastics but I never wanted to push her. She would go each week, pass her skills tests each time, and just go with the flow. Well, one day, she began to do flips in the yard and became quite the daredevil! She looked at me one day and said "I want to do one of those backflips like Nastia." (meaning Nastia Luikin). So, I spotted her in a back handspring and the next thing you know, she is trying it on her own! So, I enrolled her in private lessons with Coach Stephanie so she doesn't break her neck! Stephanie says she is VERY good for a 5 year old! I don't want to be one of those pushy moms that thinks my daughter is the best so I am just "going with the flow." What happens, happens.

Madeline - well, our baby is 8 months old! She finally rolled over from front to back and then back to front. I never know how I will find her in her crib in the mornings! She flips and flops all over the place. I think she must watch her sister and then attempt to do the same gymnastics in her bed!!! She cut her first tooth the day after Thanksgiving. It was like a PARTY when I felt it! We ran around Craig's sister's house like maniacs having everyone feel her tooth. It was quite exciting! Well, her second tooth came in the day of her 8th month birthday. She has been MISERABLE! We have not slept in a week and we spend lots of quality time togther in the middle of the night fighting those teeth! She is sleeping soundly now so I should be sleeping too! Madeline is sitting up all by herself and she has even gotten in the "crawling stance." She scoots very well on her belly so she may be ready to start crawling any minute! We have her enrolled in Kindermusik and she absolutely LOVES it. When we are there, she lights up. She LOVES to hear Brooke sing. I think we all do! She has such a gift with kids and music. She is a great teacher. When we play the music at home, its almost as if she is trying to find Brooke. Its so cute!

We are headed to Key West on New Year's Eve. My brother and his wife welcomed a new baby into their homes in November. Sydney Claire made her arrival 3 weeks early! She is sooooo stinkin adorable. She looks alot like Michael but what is even more strange - she and Madeline look soooo much alike. Its so cute! I can't wait to meet her!!!!!

Mom has been helping so much with the kids. She is a TRUE LIFESAVER and the best grandmother in the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't live without her! She went to Key West for two weeks and we were miserable!!!

Ballet is going well. We have our Christmas play on Tuesday, December 16. I have the best ballerinas in the world! But, we all need a break! We are tired.

Grace Adoption Ministry is getting closer and closer to getting off the ground. My dear friend, Camille, and I met with the elders of our church tonight. It went exceptionally well! Thank you, Lord, that you use people to help in rescuing the orphans of this world!

I guess that is all for now! Blessings to you all!!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Hills

I miss her...

I've been thinking ALOT today about "B" - not sure why but she has just been on my heart. I started doing "YouTube" searches on videos of adoption. Of course, I ran across this one. I do hope and pray that when Madeline meets her one day that she will thank her for giving her life. I am thankful to "B" and her absolutely unselfish act of placing her child with us. I will love this child with every ounce of my being. I still can't believe she is in our home.

I also pray that Molly will get to meet Victoria one day. I know Victoria thinks of her daily and loves her so much. I just pray that I continue to tell Molly of just how much she does love her and that she chose to give her life!

Please join me in praying for all the birthmothers out there. I can't imagine what they must go through when they place their child in another's arms.

Baptism, Toes, Sweet Potatoes, and the Big Easy...

Wow - its been way too long since I updated this site. It was brought to my attention when a friend asked if things were okay because I had not updated the blog. Shame on me :)

I can't believe our baby is 6 months old!!!! Its so hard to imagine that its been that long since God brought her into our lives. She has changed so much and its amazing to see her personality coming out each and every day.

The girls were both baptized at church on September 28th. It was an amazing time and we are so very thankful that our church is so supportive of us and our adoption. We thought it was important to have both girls baptized and dedicated to the Lord. Its also important to us that our church is involved in helping us raise these two precious gifts from God. We had many friends and family there to support us and to show their love for our girls.

Today was a big day - Madeline finally rolled over. Its been quite frustrating to hear all these other babies her age having mastered the art of rolling over at such an early age. I was beginning to worry a little because I feel like we work on it all the time. She absolutely hates tummy time so it was quite an effort to get her to do it. But, she did this morning!!! When I walked into her room during nap, she had rolled over again and was kicking the musical mobile to make the music turn on. She is so smart! She rolled over again tonight just for her sister!

This month has been exciting in the life of Madeline. She ate her first baby food and I must say that she takes after her daddy - her favorite is sweet potatoes! She loves them! We now eat baby food throughout the day and it has given her more incentive to sleep harder during the night and naptime!!! That is great news for all of us.

Madeline also took her first trip to New Orleans to meet her uncle, Michael. This was their first meeting and they both fell in love with one another. If you remember, Michael and his wife, Cristi, are expecting their first, Sydney Claire, in December. Michael was able to get lots of practice with Madeline! He is now ready to tackle being a Daddy!!! Molly had a great time showing Madeline around the Big Easy. We did have quite the fender bender on our way out of town but thank you, Lord, we were hit by a cardiovascular surgeon and he is willing to just write a check for the damages!

Molly is in Kindergarten part-time and we are homeschooling the other days. It seems to be working well and she is so busy with ballet, gymastics, and art that she gets plenty of socializing.

Corum Deo Dance Academy is going well. I have about 60 students and we are having a ball. Its been such a blessing to have added students this year. Things are gearing up for our Christmas production. I am just praying for help! Its hard to homeschool, be a Mommy, run a household, and then run a dance company. I am meeting with a couple of girls next week to see about partnering with them! I am excited!

Madeline goes to the doctor on Tuesday for her 6 month old shots. She probably weighs about 15 pounds! But, she is still so tiny. She has noticed her toes and LOVES to play with them. Its quite amuzing!

We love our girls so much! We are so blessed to have them in our lives. We are also so thankful to their life mommies that chose to give them life! Speaking of life mommies, "B" and I talked a couple of weeks ago. I miss her terribly! I went into a restaurant this evening and a girl was wearing "B's" perfume - I got teary-eyed! It reminded me so much of her and how much I love and miss her!

Below are some photos of these last few months. I promise I will try to update more often!!!

Blessings,
The Hills

New House...

Well, we moved! It was very short notice and it all happened at once but it has been a huge blessing! Our associate pastor and his wife have been called to a church in Illinois. They had a prayer request one Sunday at church that they really needed to rent their home. Craig and I have been renting a precious home but it was beginning to feel really small. We were looking at homes and couldn't decide whether or not to buy or rent. Well, it all worked out and we have moved into their home. Of course, we did it on the same week that a major Hurricane was projected to hit the Texas coast. In the beginning, Hurricane Ike was supposed to hit south of Corpus Christi which would have put New Braunfels in the upper right side - the worse side. So, we prepared ourselves by buying bottled water, canned goods, and battery operated fans. We also moved the movers up a few days because we didn't want to be moving in the rain. Well, it worked out that Craig was out of town!!! So, my mom, Craig's business partner, PMI Movers, and myself moved our home! It was so much fun :) and the girls were great. In the middle of all of this - it was time for my ballet school to start so I welcomed 55 dancers over a three day period to ballet class. It has been quite an interesting week!
My sweet friend, Page, showed up at my new house to help me unpack boxes. Two friends from Houston evacuated to our home and have kept the girls entertained. Then, on Saturday, Page and her family showed up at our old home to help get all the "little" stuff boxed, loaded, moved, and unloaded. They were work horses! Then, my sweet friend, Shelly, showed up to organize my kitchen cabinets with Mom. They have done SOOOOO much and I am soooo grateful! We have been so blessed to be members of incredible churches in this town with incredible friends. We met so many wonderful people and had such a great support system at Oakwood. Then, we moved to RCV and were blessed with wonderful friendships. And, now we are at Christ Presbyterian and we continue to be blessed by awesome relationships! God is so good in providing people in our lives when we need them the most. We hope and pray that we are the type of people that can be a blessing to others.
Our neighborhood is awesome! Molly has already made friends with so many of the little girls. There are 24 kids on our block alone!!!! They have movie night every couple of weeks, cookouts, and lots of playing in the cul-de-sac. It is going to be so much fun. Someone in the neighborhood described it as 50's America! We are so excited!
Madeline is growing up so much. She turned 5 months this month and is almost 13 pounds. She is getting soooo big and her personality is coming out - its so cute to watch her.
Molly started Kindergarten this year too. She is really enjoying going to Ms. Inga's and is also excited about Homeschool.
I guess that is all for now. I will post photos later once I find my camera in one of these boxes!!!

Blessing to you all!
The Hills

4 Months, Sea World and First time in the pool....

I wasn't sure how to title this post. We've had so much going on that I am not sure what I would call it. We do spend alot of time at home but we are so blessed to get to have fun time with friends.

Madeline is now 4 months. We went to the doctor on Wednesday and she is 11 pounds 15 ounces, 24 inches long and growing. She is still tiny but she is much bigger than when she was born. I think she is doing fine but the doctor ordered more "tummy time" so that she can start to roll over. She did roll over from front to back once! She absolutely HATES tummy time! But, we followed doctors orders and tried it. I could only handle the screaming alittle bit and then I gave in! I am a sucker!

We went to the Ski Lodge today with some friends and we put her in the pool for the first time. We have been so blessed to have my god-daughter, Kayla, with us all week. Craig and Mom were out of town so the extra set of hands was nice! Kayla is excellent with children and she will make a great mommy one day but for now, she is only 12. I have attached a photo of Madeline in the pool - she LOVED IT!

Molly, Craig, and I got to spend the day with some friends at Sea World last week. We had a great time! Craig and I were able to act like kids and ride all the rollercoasters - it was a blast!!! Molly loved the Shamu show and she even got a little teary eyed (along with her mom) at the overwhelming feeling of seeing this huge whale do tricks.

Madeline has been in Kindermusik and loves it. Her Aunt Brooke does a great job and we are having so much fun. We've taken a break from it and will start back in September.

Ballet starts the second week of September and I am already full! More than half the students are NEW!!! Praise God! I am so excited and I have really missed my little dancers so much.

I think that is it for now. Here are some new photos and I hope you enjoy them.

Blessings,
The Hills
PS - I don't know if anyone even reads this thing but I'll keep it updated just in case :)